The Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana (CDAG) has called on President John Dramani Mahama and the Interior Minister, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, to intervene in what it describes as excessive DVLA delinquency charges and widespread extortion of commercial drivers by some police officers.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, the Association said commercial drivers were facing increasing financial pressure due to rising fuel prices, official documentation costs and penalties imposed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).
The group expressed concern over what it described as escalating “delinquency charges” imposed on drivers who renew their licences or vehicle roadworthiness certificates after their expiry dates.
According to the Association, the system unfairly assumes that every driver with an expired document was actively operating a vehicle illegally during the period of expiry.
It argued that some drivers may have been out of the country, had vehicles that were off the road due to mechanical problems, or simply lacked the financial means to renew their documents on time.
The Association said the penalties can cause renewal costs to double or triple depending on how long the document has remained expired, creating an additional burden for commercial drivers.
Beyond the DVLA charges, CDAG also accused some personnel of the Ghana Police Service, particularly officers of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), of engaging in routine extortion on major roads.
The group alleged that some checkpoints and road corridors had become “collection points” where drivers are allegedly pressured to make spot payments for minor traffic offences or expired documents.
It claimed that some drivers are threatened with vehicle impoundment or arrest when they fail to make such payments.
“Commercial drivers are now spending almost half of our revenue on police extortion,” the Association alleged.
The group is therefore demanding the immediate suspension of automatic DVLA delinquency penalties on late renewals of driving licences and roadworthy certificates.
It wants the government to direct the DVLA to revert to approved statutory fees while broader concerns over the penalty system are addressed.
CDAG is also calling on the Interior Minister and the Inspector-General of Police to introduce stricter anti-corruption monitoring mechanisms along major road corridors to tackle alleged extortion.
The Association said commercial drivers play an important role in transporting people, food and goods across the country and should not be treated as sources of revenue by state institutions.
CDAG also noted that it had demonstrated cooperation with the government by holding back a planned 30 percent increase in transport fares following a government appeal for a one-month grace period.
The Association urged commercial drivers to continue suspending any fare increase until the government’s one-month grace period expires.
It said government must reciprocate the gesture by taking concrete steps to address the financial and operational challenges confronting drivers.
Read the statement below:
PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
CONCERNED DRIVERS ASSOCIATION OF GHANA(CDAG) CALL FOR IMMEDIATE PRESIDENTIAL AND MINISTERIAL INTERVENTION REGARDING DVLA DELINQUENCY FEES AND SYSTEMIC POLICE EXTORTION ON GHANAIAN ROADS
The Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana(CDAG) is issuing an urgent call to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana John Dramani Mahama and the Honorable Minister for the Interior Mutaka Mubarak to intervene immediately to end delinquency rates charged by the Driver and vehicle Licensing Authority(DVLA).
As commercial drivers, we are facing critical economic pressures rising from the high cost of fuel and official documentation services rendered by the DVLA and these charges are now a yolk that is finally breaking the camel’s back.
The DVLA has unilaterally introduced escalating financial penalties—labeled as “delinquency charges”—for drivers renewing their driver’s licenses or vehicle roadworthiness certificates after the date of expiration.
While we wouldn’t want to venture into any legal argument at the moment we wish to categorically state that this system is punitive and unfair.
The DVLA automatically assumes that any driver renewing an expired document was actively driving illegally during that period. This penalizes citizens who were out of the country, had broken-down vehicles, or were financially constrained. These are realities faced by commercial drivers.
Our financial burden has also been further escalated as renewal fees double and triple depending on the duration of delay, placing an unbearable financial barrier on the ordinary Ghanaian trotro driver who simply wants to regularize their documents.
Rampant Extortion and Harassment by Police Personnel
Compounding the DVLA’s unfair policies is the routine extortion by officers of the Ghana Police Service, particularly the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD).
Instead of prioritizing road safety and traffic management, major corridors and checkpoints have turned into collection points. Drivers with minor infractions or expired documents—often caused by the high DVLA renewal costs—are routinely intimidated, coerced, and subjected to spot-cash extortions under the threat of vehicle impoundment or arbitrary arrest.
Commercial drivers are now spending almost have of our revenue on police extortion.
We wish to place the following demands before government;
- Immediate Suspension of DVLA Penalty Fees: We call on the President and the Ministry of Transport to direct the DVLA to suspend all automatic “delinquency” penalty fees on late renewals of driver’s licenses and roadworthy certificates, reverting charges strictly to approved standard statutory rates.
- Ministerial Directive on Police Extortion: We request the Minister for the Interior and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to deploy strict anti-corruption monitoring mechanisms across road corridors
As commercial drivers, we play a fundamental role in moving Ghana’s economy, carrying food, goods, and people daily. We can no longer tolerate being treated as automated cash sources by state institutions.
It is worthy to mention that we have always cooperated with government and in a clear example of showing goodwill withheld our planned transport fare increment by 30%.
The government must therefore exercise a clear show of mutual commitment to our shared goals of establishing a sound economy.
We however continue to remind our colleagues to hold on with any increment in transport fares until the government’s plea for a one month grace period has elapsed.
Sgd:
Paa Willie- National Chairman, Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana
024 297 1025
David Agboado- PRO, Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana
0541063682
Kwesi Arhin, Central Regional Chairman,
0242126365
Akwadaa Nyame, Ashanti Regional Chairman,
0245132673
READ ALSO:
BOST, tanker drivers agree on measures to address concerns at Kumasi Depot, strike suspended
Tanker drivers in Ashanti and other regions begin 3-day sit-down strike over faulty fuel…
